LETTER: Bylaw enforcement unnecessary in Alberni

My opinion is that the city’s plan to hire two more bylaw enforcement officers is a waste of taxpayers’ money. But that’s just my opinion. One more position might be palatable, or a part-time assistant.

However, the crime running rampant on the streets thing isn’t really going to be helped by another bylaw officer. All they can do with street problems is call the police, which any good citizen can and should do anyway.

Bylaw infractions, like the heights of hedges, parking RVs and big trucks, signage issues, dogs on the loose, ugly and unsightly buildings, wrongful use of properties, parking infractions, noise complaints, etc…these can be addressed by one or two officers at the most, if they’re given good bicycles and rain gear.

They might drive smart cars in the worst of the winter, or ride fat tire mountain bikes or do foot patrols in mukluks or something. Right now it seems every civic vehicle is brand new. It seems like the people working for the city have it way better than the people paying taxes: this isn’t right.

Truly, some modicum of restraint ought to take place in the budgetary process. We’re not here to finance others’ luxurious lifestyles sitting in new trucks as our cold little clunkers make do for us.

The recent, alarming growth of the security, police, fire, ambulance, emergency and bylaw industries, and the cry that crime is everywhere, has driven may small communities into bankruptcy.

Seems everyone wears black and covers themselves with emergency gear to look more gung-ho! What happened to a low pay check, a sense of duty, shirt sleeves and a smile? Pretty soon the librarians will want flak jackets and pistols. Clearly we are over-securitied already.

We’re probably on the hook for neverending high-end pensions too. It would be interesting to see just what Port Alberni is looking at in that regard down the road.

This milking of the property tax system has to be toned down. Use the money for infrastructure and beautification, not endless wages and pensions.